Leafs protect Holl, expose Kerfoot, McCann, Dermott for Seattle Kraken expansion
Holl #Holl
With the expansion draft looming, the Maple Leafs have protected eight skaters and one goalie.
The Seattle Kraken will have to keep their hands off Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, Jake Muzzin, Justin Holl and Jack Campbell.
There’s really no debate on four of the forwards, three of the defencemen and the goalie. But the inclusion of Holl, a 29-year-old middle-pair defencemen over others, like forwards Alex Kerfoot and the just-acquired Jared McCann, is sure to raise the debate level around the team at least until Seattle makes its selection on Wednesday.
Exposed to the Kraken are Kerfoot, McCann, Travis Dermott, Wayne Simmonds, Jason Spezza, Pierre Engvall and Adam Brooks.
If the Kraken take McCann, then the 25-year-old will have indeed acted as insurance to keep the versatile Kerfoot. You could look at it as the Leafs losing a prospect (Filip Hallander) and a seventh-round pick in 2023 in the expansion. That was the price they paid to the Penguins, who figured they’d lose McCann to Seattle in the expansion draft.
If the Kraken take Kerfoot, the Leafs would then have McCann as his replacement and at a cheaper price tag. Kerfoot has one year left at $3.5 million and will be an unrestricted free agent. McCann has one year left at $2.94 million and will be a restricted free agent. The difference of about $600,000 may not sound like much, but for the Leafs, who currently only have about $6.4 million in cap space as the roster stands before the expansion draft, it could be a difference maker.
There was a case to be made to protect Dermott, who is five years younger than Holl, or to protect seven forwards, including both Kerfoot and McCann, but only three defencemen, meaning both Holl and Dermott would be exposed. But the Leafs chose their path, putting faith in Holl, a lanky, late-blooming, right-handed defenceman.
Some big names available to Seattle:
-Montreal goalie Carey Price, carrying a cap hit of $10.5 million for the next five years. He waived his no movement clause;
-Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk;
-Stanley Cup champion forwards Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn from the Tampa Bay Lightning;
-Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey from the New York Islanders;
-Nino Nieddereiter of the Carolina Hurricanes
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